My Sister
by Jaycee James
Summary: Ace is a pauper living in the mountains with her mother and father. When her parents are captured, Ace goes to ask for help from the king and queen. Little did she know what would happen when she walked through the palace doors.


The king was in the sitting room looking out his window when a servant maid came to get him.

"Your Majesty, her highness has given birth."

"Thank you, Gwendolyn." The king started toward his queen's bedroom.

"No, no, Your Majesty. I bring terrible news." The king could see the regret in her eyes.

"Has the child perished?" the king asked with horror.

"No, Your Majesty. She is a rather healthy baby. But… her highness is still with child." The servant maid paused before giving the news. "Her highness… was c-carrying… t-twins," she stammered haltingly. The king's mind flashed back to the meeting that he and his queen had with the high priestess. A conversation that he did not take to heart as he should have.

_I foresee a great destruction in the future of our kingdom. There will be much bloodshed and grieving for a period of two years. And then a child who has taken the wrong identity will save more than the child is asked to save. Your Majesties will have two children at once. One child will be the savior and the other will be the destruction. I cannot tell you which is which. You must decide the fate of your kingdom._

"Has the queen seen the child?" the king roared at the servant maid. She took a few steps backward.

"N-no, Your Majesty. She is unconscious."

"Where is the child?"

"Lady Melinda is tending to her, Your Majesty."

"Bring me to her."

"Yes, sir," the servant said.

His Majesty followed the young servant into the dressing chamber of his queen. He found the Lady Melinda kneeling over a tub of water cradling a child to her chest. He walked over to the lady and she immediately stood.

"Your highness!" She exclaimed. "Sire, whatever are you doing here?"

"Give me the child, Melinda." The kind held out his hands and the lady did not hesitate to place the newborn into his arms. Little did she suspect what he was planning.

The king looked into the child's wide, green eyes. Her cheeks had a small flush and had a little fuzz of brown hair._ She looks like her mother,_ the king thought._ None of my pale hair or blue eyes._ He shook his head to clear his mind._ Best not to get too attached._

"Gwendolyn, prepare yourself. You will take this child and go very far from here. I will give you a carriage and a guard—"

"Your Majesty! I must leave with the child? But—"

"You will do as I command!" The king growled at her. "I will send you with a guard. In fact, call for Captain Corel, Lady Melinda. He should be outside in the sitting room. Gwendolyn, you must follow my instructions. Take this child with you to the mountains. I will give you pay, as much as you need to survive in the villages of the mountains." Captain Corel came into the dressing room followed by Lady Melinda.

"Corel, you will travel with Gwendolyn and this child. You will both act as the child's parents. Teach her how to live an honest life. Treat her with a stern but caring hand. Do you understand me, Corel? Gwendolyn?" The king looked at them with intimidating eyes. They both bowed their heads with respect. "Take her now." The king placed his offspring into the arms of the young handmaiden. "Corel, go and prepare the carriage. You must leave here before the next hour." The captain took his leave as Lady Melinda ushered him out.

"Take this, Gwendolyn." The king handed her a heavy pouch from his trousers. "That should be more than enough to last you a lifetime. But take this as well." The king put a handful of his queen's stones and gems into the servant maid's pocket. "Don't let the child starve. I am trusting you with an important task and with my own blood, Gwendolyn." The king and his maidservants turned their heads to the anguished cry of the queen.

"Your Majesty!" Lady Melinda called from the queen's bed chamber. "Her highness is waking, she is going into labor!"

"Go, you must go now!" The king gently pushed the maid out of the queen's parlor and into the one of the castle's many hallways. "Hurry and remember, speak of this to no one. Tell the same to Corel. Leave, and don't ever come back. Quickly!" The maid hurried down the corridor and the staircase. She went out the side door meant for servants and ran toward the lonely carriage that was out by the front garden. Corel came to meet her halfway and took the child from her arms.

"The king says to speak of this to no one." Gwendolyn held out the pouch and dug in her apron pocket for the diamonds and rubies that were stuffed there. "He gave us enough to make it to the mountains and provide for the child."

"Understood. Let us set out on our journey." Gwendolyn stepped into the carriage and found only a blanket and a pillow. She sat on the carriage's bench and held her hands out for the baby.

"I will lead us out of the town. When we reach the outskirts then we can settle for a while and rest," Corel said. "Leave the window that faces the driver's bench open so that I may hear you if you need me." The captain pointed to the latched door on her right.

Gwendolyn nodded her head and sat back while the captain shut the door and took his place on the seat that attached the horses to the carriage. There were two horses, a dark brown horse that Gwendolyn recognized as the kings prized stallion and another pale blond horse that Gwendolyn has seen her highness ride on recreational outings. _Fitting for the king and queen,_ Gwen thought with a smile._ Even their horses match them._

"Oh," Gwendolyn said as she realized something.

"What is it?" Corel called back as he made the horses fall into a trot.

"The child… his majesty did not name the child."

"Then I guess we will have to do it ourselves." Gwendolyn could tell he was smiling. "After all, we are her parents now, aren't we?"


End file.
